Media Regulatory Authorities

The Council of Europe recognises the important role of independent regulatory authorities entrusted with responsibility for regulating the audio-visual sector at national level, as contributors towards fostering a favourable environment for freedom of expression.

Enjoying genuine independence in law and in practice is a prerequisite for these authorities to be able to carry out their remit in an effective, transparent and accountable manner.

The Council of Europe recognises that, to guarantee the existence of a wide range of independent and autonomous media in the audio-visual media sector, it is essential to provide for its adequate regulation. A regulation framework must guarantee freedom of expression whilst at the same time ensuring a balance between this freedom and other legitimate rights and interests. For this purpose, specially appointed national regulatory authorities (NRAs) enjoying genuine independence, guaranteed by law and borne out in practice, have an important role to play.
While recognising that there is a great diversity in the member states with regard to NRAs remit, some of their essential tasks include the granting of broadcasting licences, monitoring of programmes’ compliance with legal obligations, as well as the adoption of code of practices and regulations in the field of pluralism, transparency of media ownership, protection of minors, promotion of social and cultural diversity, combating hate speech, etc.

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The International Conference on Public Service Media and Democracy, co-organised by the Council of Europe, the European Broadcasting Union and the Czech Parliament held in November 2016 in Prague, discussed the role of national parliaments in protecting the media focusing on public service media.

In this context, the participants recalled the specific role of parliaments in ensuring institutional independence and financial sustainability of media regulatory authorities.

In particular, it stresses that specific rules should be defined as regards incompatibilities of members and that the funding of NRAs should be specified in law in accordance with a clearly defined plan, with reference to the estimated cost of their activities.

Other normative documents, adopted by the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, promote some aspects relevant for the scope of their remit.

Building capacityBuilding capacity

Over the past decade, the Council of Europe has promoted these standards through numerous cooperation activities in member states and partner countries with a focus on strengthening media freedom and supporting the independence and efficient functioning of NRAs.